Door unit for dispensing machines



y 1970 H. DIEBEL ETAL 3,510,186

DOOR UNIT FOR DISPENSING MACHINES Filed Feb. 28, 1968 FIG] \\ INVENIORS HOWARD DIEBEL ARTHUR B. MOYER JAY B. S. MOYER Ian/My? PATENT AGEN United States Patent 3,510,186 DOOR UNIT FOR DISPENSING MACHINES Howard Diebel, Arthur B. Moyer, and Jay B. S. Moyer,

all of Jordan, Ontario, Canada (all of Jordan Station, Ontario, Canada) Filed Feb. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 708,845 Int. Cl. B6511 3/02; G07f 11/16 US. Cl. 312-35 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSIlRE A door unit for a drink dispenser has two separate door members pivoted to the door frame about respective parallel vertical pivot axes; the two members are mechanically interconnected so that as one is pushed open the other also open automatically to permit ready access to the drink dispenser position; one door member as it opens engages a member that is employed to guide the cups to the dispenser position and pushes the guide member out of the way of the purchasers hand; one door member may carry a plate onto which the drink is dispensed and movement of the door member and the plate moves the drink toward the purchasers hand.

Field of the invention This invention is concerned with improvements in or relatin g to door units for dispensing machines.

Description of the prior art A common type of vending dispensing machine is one in which the vended article etc. is delivered to a compartment at the front of the machine and constituting a dispensing station. In many machines of this type, particularly those which dispense drinks in individual cups, a self-closing door is provided to keep the chamber closed from the outer atmosphere, except while the dispensed article is being withdrawn by the purchaser. The provision of a suitable door unit has been continuing problem in such machines.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a new dispenser unit.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a dispenser door unit comprising a door frame, a first door member hinged to the frame about a corresponding first hinge axis for hinging movement, a second door member hinged to the frame about a corresponding second hinge axis generally parallel to the first axis for hinging movement, and mechanical means so interconnecting said door members that opening movement of one member by an operator in its respective direction causes opening movement of the other member in its respective direction.

Description of the drawing A particular prferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above and to one side, with parts shown broken away as necessary for clarity of illustration, and

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiments The self-closing door unit to be particularly described comprises a sub-unit of a drink vending machine, which dispenses drinks in individual paper or plastic cups 10. Upon operation of the machine b a purchaser the bottom cup of a vertical stack is detached therefrom and drops through a guide tube 11 and a guide member 12 to a dispensing filling position (indicated herein by a broken line circle), in which it sits in an appropriately shaped recess 13 in a movable plate 14 within a compartment 15 of the machine. When the cup s full it is removed by the purchaser through the door unit 16 which is disposed at the front of the machine. The general operation of the vending machine will not be described further, since it forms no part of the present invention.

The particular cup guide member 12 illustrated herein is formed from sheet metal and provides two fixed side guide fingers 17 and a movable middle guide finger 18, the latter being pivoted at 19 to the member 12 and having an outward extension 20 at its lower end.

The door unit proper comprises a rectangular frame mounted in. the wall of the vending machine to have inwardly extending side walls 21 and a decorative door surround portion 22. A first, main, inwardly-opening, selfclosing door member 23 of a transparent material, such as glass or a suitable plastic, extends from the right-hand vertical side wall 21, as seen looking towards the front of the machine, and is pivotally mounted in the frame by a pair of hinges 24 having a vertical hinge axis 25 and fixed to respective horizontal side walls 21. A second, subsidiary, outwardly-opening, self-closing door member 26, also of a suitable transparent material, extends from the other vertical side wall 21, and is pivotally mounted by an upper hinge and a lower hinge formed by the plate 14, the two hinges 27 having a vertical hinge axis 28 parallel to the axis 25.

The two door members are mechanically interconnected by a rigid link member 29 which is pivoted at its ends by respective pivot pins 30 and 31 to respective extensions 32 and 33 of the portions of the upper hinges 24 and 27 that are fastened to the doors. The distance between the hinge 25 and that of pivot pin 30 is approximately the same as that between the axis 28 and the axis of pivot 31, so that movement of one door member produces a substantially equi-angular movement of the other. Both door members are rendered self-closing by a single tension spring 34 connected between the door frame and the member 29, opening movement of the door members extending the spring, and vice versa. The combined widths of the two doors is a little more than that of the door opening, and they therefore overlap at their immediately adjacent vertical edges, so that each door member constitutes a stop determining the fully closed position of the other.

In this embodiment the above-described plate 14 is mechanically interconnected with the door member 26, by being securely fastened to the member adjacent the bottom edge thereof; the plate is therefore moved upon movement of the door member as the latter opens to move a filled cup 10 in the recess 13 toward the front of the machine, the cup 10 being thereby moved toward a purchasers hand reaching into the compartment 15. It will be understood that the plate 14 usually will be mounted on whichever of the two door members will move it in the appropriate direction upon opening movement of the door.

In operation, the purchaser usually observes the filling of the cup through the closed door, and then pushes open the door member 23 with his hand to reach the cup. Because of the particular mechanical interconnection provided by the member 29, the inward movement of the door member 23 produces a simultaneous opposite outward movement of the door member 26, greatly increasing the space through which the cup 11 can be [withdrawn, without requiring too large a door member 23. The door member 23 follows the withdrawal of the purchasers hand from the chamber 15 under the gentle urge of the spring 26, the door member 26 closing simultaneously but with much less actual displacement due to its smaller width, with the result found in practice that the cup can readily be withdrawn without jerking or spilling its contents.

The width of the door member 23 is such that, as it approaches its fully open position, it engages the extension 20 of the guide finger and moves the finger out of the path of withdrawal of the cup; as the member 23 closes the guide finger 18 returns under gravity to its vertical position, ready to guide the next cup that descends into the position 14.

The provision of the movable plate 14 on the door member 26 also assists in rapid and easy withdrawal, in that the cup is moved mechanically toward the front of the machine as the door member 26 opens, reducing the distance by which the purchasers hand must enter the machine. This arrangement also moves the cup out of the comparatively confined space between the guide means 17 and 18 into the main part of the compartment 15, where it is more easily grasped.

Although in the particular embodiment described the door members are hinged about vertical hinge axes in other embodiments they may be mounted for movement about horizontal axes. In such an arrangement it may be necessary to hinge the plate 14 to the door member 26, and to guide it positively for horizontal movement, so that there is no tendency to tilt the plate and the cup carried thereby. Other Waysv of providing the said mechanical connection between the two door members to achieve the desired result will be apparent to those skilled in the art; for example the connection can be by means of a flexible cord which is connected at each end to the respective door members, such a connection operating positively to open both door members simultaneously, but permitting the members to close separately, each under the urge of its own closing spring.

In this particular embodiment the plate 14 also con stitutes a part of the lower hinge for the door member 26, but in other embodiments the lower hinge may be completely separate from the plate.

What we claim is:

1. A door unit for a drink dispenser dispensing drinks in individual cups to a dispensing position behind the door unit, comprising movable guide means at the dispensing position for guiding individual cups to the said position, a door frame, a first door member hinged to the frame by first hinge means about a corresponding first hinge axis for opening and closing hinging movement, a second door member hinged to the frame by second hinge means about a corresponding second hinge axis generally parallel to the first axis and for opening and closing hinging movement, the said opening movement of one of the door members engaging that member with the movable guide means and moving the guide means out of the path of withdrawal of a cup from the dispensing position, and mechanical means so interconnecting said door members that opening movement of one member by an operator in its respective direction causes opening movement of the other member in its respective direction.

2. A door unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said mechanical interconnecting means comprise a rigid connecting link pivotally connected at its ends to a respective hinge member of said first and second hinge means, and comprising a single spring means for closing both door members constituted by a tension spring connected between the saidrigid connecting link and the door frame to be extended as the door members are opened, and vice versa.

3. A door unit as claimed in claim 1, weherein said mechanical interconnecting means comprise a one-way connection such that closing movement of each door member permits closing movement of the other door member without causing movement of the other door member.

4. A door unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprise at least one downwardly depending pivoted finger having a projection extending into the path of movement of the associated door member, the door member engaging the said projection upon opening movement of the door member to move the guide finger about its pivot out of said path of withdrawal.

5. A door unit as claimed in claim 1, and comprising a member establishing a dispensing position, means movably mounting the member within the dispenser, and means so mechanically interconnecting the dispensing position member and a door member that movement of the latter towards its open position causes movement of the dispensing position member to move the dispensing position established thereby toward the hand of an intending purchaser protruding through the door unit.

6. A door unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the dispensing position member is a plate fastened to the door member whose movement for opening is toward an intending purchaser, the plate being movable with the door member and having a horizontally extending portion providing the said dispensing position.

7. A door unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the said plate constitutes part of the respective hinge means for the associated door member.

8. A dispenser door unit for a drink dispenser dispensing drinks in individual cups comprising a door frame, a first door member hinged to the frame about a corresponding hinge axis for hinging movement in an opening direction, a member establishing a dispensing position for the individual cups and mounted on the door member so that movement of the latter towards its open position causes movement of the dispensing position member to move the dispensing position established thereby toward the hand of an intending purchaser protruding through the door unit.

9. A door unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dispensing position member is a plate fastened to the door member whose movement for opening is toward an intending purchaser, the plate being movable with the door member and having a horizontally extending portion providing the said dispensing position.

10. A door unit as claimed in claim 8, and comprising a second door member hinged to the frame by second hinge means about a corresponding second hinge axis generally parallel to the first axis and for hinging movement, and mechanical means so interconnecting said door members that opening movement of one member by an operator in its respective direction causes opening movement of the other member in its respective direction.

11 A door unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dispensing position member is a plate fastened to the door member, and the said plate constitutes part of the respective hinge means for the associated door member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,830,627 4/1958 Polsen et a1 22l-l94 X 2,836,477 5/1958 Karotf 312--271 2,869,954 1/1959 Kesling 312-295 X 3,425,765 2/1969 Levy 312271 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

